Electrical connector assembly or adapter assembly has been widely applied in various fields for conveying electric power from a power supplying end to a power receiving end. For example, an adapter assembly has been used for transferring electric power from a charging station or a utility power source to a battery mounted in an electric vehicle or a hybrid electric vehicle, and an electrical connector assembly including an industrial plug and a socket has been used for transferring power from a power source to an electrical equipment.
Trust in the safety and reliability of the electrical connector assembly or adapter assembly is very important for user. Namely, it is very import that the electrical connector assembly or the adapter assembly should not suffer from leakage of electricity. The electrical connector assembly or adapter assembly are often used outdoors, there is a great risk that some environmental substances such as water or dust may enter into the electrical connector assembly or adapter assembly. If the water or dust is introduced into the electrical connector or adapter, the user may suffer from an electrical shock at the moment that the electrical connector or adapter is connected with a matching electrical connector or adapter to transfer electric power and at the moment that the electrical connector or adapter is detached from a matching electrical connector or adapter to interrupt the power transmission.
For example, when an electric vehicle is charged from a charging station or a utility power source, the user has to use a charging adapter carefully. The charging adapter is often used outdoor. If water or dust is entered into the charging adapter, the user may suffer from an electrical shock at the moment that the charging adapter is connected with a matching adapter or connector to transfer electric power and at the moment that the charging adapter is detached from a matching adapter or connector to interrupt the power transmission. In order to prevent water and dust from being introduced into the charging adapter when the charging adapter is not in use, the charging adapter is equipped with a cap or lid for selectively covering or uncovering the electrical contacts thereof so as to protect against water and dust to a certain degree. However, these prior arts suffer from numerous disadvantages and inconvenience. The user does not have the habit of covering the cover or lid on the opening of the charging adapter when the charging adapter is not in use. Under this circumstance, the electrical contacts of the charging adapter are exposed to the environment which may cause the electrical contacts to corrode. In addition, the user may touch the electrical contacts of the charging adapter accidently and suffer from an electrical shock. Moreover, if the user forgets to cover the opening of the charging adapter and water or moisture is entered into the charging adapter, the user may suffer from an electrical shock at the moment that the charging adapter is connected with a matching adapter or connector to transfer electric power and at the moment that the charging adapter is detached from a matching adapter or connector to interrupt the power transmission. Moreover, the prior art also fails to provide a safety structure capable of preventing accident detachment between the charging adapter and a matching adapter or connector to address the electrical shock issue.
Therefore, there is a need of providing an adapter assembly with safety design to avoid electrical shock issue and obviate the drawbacks encountered from the prior arts.